


Feelings In Free Fall

by AnimationNut



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Based off End Credits, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Don't copy to another site, Families of Choice, Family, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Hugs, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Relationships, Series Finale, Spoilers, The Last Adventure! Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-27 21:13:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30128910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnimationNut/pseuds/AnimationNut
Summary: After the terrifying ordeal that was fighting F.O.W.L., tumbling through the air with no parachutes was far from the worst thing to happen to the McDuck clan that day. After all, what's better than hugs in free fall?
Relationships: Della Duck & Dewey Duck & Donald Duck (Disney), Dewey Duck & Huey Duck & Louie Duck, Dewey Duck & Scrooge McDuck, Dewey Duck & Webby Vanderquack
Comments: 40
Kudos: 154





	Feelings In Free Fall

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own DuckTales.
> 
> Spoilers for The Last Adventure!
> 
> I will always love these ducks.

The bright blue sky and fluffy white clouds would have been peaceful if Huey wasn’t currently free-falling through the picturesque scenery.

The wind slapped at him from all sides. Huey kept his eyes firmly closed, pretending he was at the harbour or the beach and not plummeting to his death from tens of thousands of feet in the air. He tucked his legs against his body to prevent himself from tumbling in all directions.

“I’m going to be okay, I’m going to be okay,” he chanted. “We just survived the insane Bradford Buzzard. We’re not going to die because Launchpad accidentally hit a button. Fate is not that cruel.”

Something solid stuck him and Huey’s eyes flew open. He yelped as Louie frantically clung to him, his movements causing them to spin. “Louie!”

He grabbed hold of his brother’s wings and adjusted his body into a horizontal position. Louie copied his movements so that they were directly across from each other as they fell through the sky. “We need to get a cover for that button,” said Louie flatly.

“Don’t think it would help much. Launchpad will still find a way to crash the plane.”

“Yeah, but at least we’d be inside when it happens.”

“That would be preferable,” admitted Huey.

Louie arched a brow at the steady stare Huey aimed at his face. “Do I have something on my beak?”

“What? No.”

“Then why are you looking at me like that?”

“If I look down, I’m going to freak out,” said Huey, more calmly than he felt.

“Ah. Gotcha.”

“Hey, guys! Check this out!”

Louie glanced down, rolling his eyes at the sight of Dewey moonwalking through the air, moving his hips and arms to a rhythm only he could hear. “Show-off.”

Curious, Huey snapped his gaze down just long enough to catch Dewey’s dance routine before returning his eyes back to Louie’s face. “It’s kinda impressive.”

“I thought you were too scared to look down!”

“I am! But I only looked at Dewey, not what was under him.”

Louie was baffled. “How do you even do that?”

Dewey spun in a circle and flattened himself out, sailing up to join his brothers. Louie and Huey each grabbed one of his wings so that they were free-falling in a circle. “Pretty cool, right?” said Dewey cheerfully.

Huey could not help but smile. “It was very smooth.”

“You guys should try and do some tricks!”

“No way,” said Louie with a strong shake of his head.

“Yeah, I’m good,” said Huey feelingly.

Dewey regarded his brothers, his expression softening. “I’m really, really glad nothing bad happened to you, Huey,” he whispered. “We freaked when we saw you left your Junior Woodchuck Guidebook behind.”

“I’m glad nothing happened to you guys, either,” returned Huey. “I was really happy to see you.”

Louie grinned. “We could tell by how you nearly strangled us with your hug.”

Dewey lightly jostled Louie in the side. “You were great, by the way. That pep talk on the plane was something I needed. Thank you.”

“I knew the Dewey in you was there. You just had to stop trying to be Mom, Uncle Scrooge and Uncle Donald in order to find it. That plane flying of yours is seriously amazing and it’s all you.”

Dewey beamed. “Thanks! I am pretty awesome, aren’t I?”

“So humble, too,” said Huey sarcastically and Louie snickered.

_“Heads up!”_

The shout caused Huey, Dewey and Louie to look up in time to see Webby hurtling towards them. Louie and Huey hastily let go of one another and created a space for her to drop through. Before she went out of their reach, they snagged her by the wings, pulling her up to join their circle.

“Hi!” she chirped. “Isn’t this so cool?”

“I did a moonwalk over the clouds!” said Dewey excitedly. “Did you see?”

“I did! It was amazing!”

“Ha! See?” Dewey grinned smugly at his brothers. “Told you I’m awesome.”

“It’s a good thing you don’t wear hats,” said Louie. “That big head of yours wouldn’t fit into any of them.”

Huey studied Webby closely. There was a bright light in her eyes and she didn’t seem to be too fazed by the events of the day. “Are you okay?” he asked worriedly, wanting to be sure she was all right.

“I’m fine,” she answered with a nod. “Are you guys okay?”

“We’re good.” Dewey nibbled on his bottom beak. “Seriously, Webby, about the whole…clone thing. You’re not upset?”

“I was, at first,” admitted Webby. “But I think I was mostly angry. Angry that I was lied to by Granny. That I wasn’t who I thought I was. But I was wrong. It doesn’t matter who made me. It doesn’t matter that I was made and not born. I _am_ the girl I’ve always been. Nothing changes that.

“And…well, I thought I lost my parents a long time ago. Now I have a dad!” Her delight was short-lived as she considered, for the first time, that this might not be something the triplets would be particularly happy with. “Does…does that bother you?” she asked in a small voice. “That I’m his daughter, and that I’m the one who found the Papyrus?”

“No,” Dewey said fiercely. “Not at all.”

“We think it’s so great that Uncle Scrooge is your dad,” said Huey sincerely.

“You were family before we knew about your past,” said Louie. “Why would that change now?”

Webby beamed. “I love you guys.”

“We love you too,” the triplets chorused.

_“Hold that form, lads and lass!”_

The kids glanced up to see Scrooge careening towards them, a wide grin on his beak. He did not show any signs of diverting from his path and Huey asked nervously, “Uhhhh what is he doing?”

For a moment it seemed like Scrooge would crash right into them. The shriek formed in Huey’s throat but before it could be released his great-uncle soared neatly through the middle of their circle. He somersaulted in place three times before angling his body so that the air carried him back to the kids.

Webby and Louie parted to make room and Scrooge joined the little formation they had created. He gripped Webby and Louie’s wings tightly, his eyes glinting with delight. “Ah knew Ah should have made ye kids wear those life vests.”

“Uncle Scrooge, even if there was water below us, a life vest would be useless given the speed with which we’re falling,” said Huey.

“It’s a joke, goof,” said Louie with a roll of his eyes.

“I _know_ , but I feel we’re having too much fun given our life-threatening situation.”

“That’s never stopped us before,” countered Dewey. “At least this life-threatening situation isn’t, like, dark and dire.”

“We’ll be fine, lad,” said Scrooge, giving Huey a reassuring smile. “Fenton will nae let us plummet tae our deaths.”

“But Mom and Uncle Donald will,” said Louie with a straight face. “Totally don’t blame them.”

“Ye know what Ah mean,” said Scrooge with a slight smirk. His humour faded slightly and he regarded them all seriously. “What happened today was nae like anythin’ we ever faced before. If ye need tae talk, ye know Ah’m—”

“We know,” said Louie, giving Scrooge’s wing a tender squeeze. “We can always talk to you, Mom and Uncle Donald.”

“We already checked in with each other,” spoke Dewey. “We’re fine, Uncle Scrooge. What happened today was hard and terrifying, but we got through it, because we were fighting for each other.”

“Family sees us through, always,” said Webby earnestly.

“Aye, that it does,” said Scrooge with deep fondness. He surveyed the children that had changed his life so completely, an intense love burning bright in his heart. “Ah love ye kids. Always.”

“And we’ll always love you,” said Dewey with devotion, and Huey, Louie and Webby chimed in with their affirmations.

Though a warm fuzziness filled Huey’s chest, the anxiety still tingled, not letting him forget about their current predicament. “I hate to have another cute family moment interrupted, but we really should start making our way to the others.”

Dewey and Louie shared a mischievous glance. “All right, all right,” said Louie casually. “You want a boost?”

Huey blinked. “A boost? What does that—?”

Louie let go of Scrooge’s wing and Dewey pulled on Huey’s wing, yanking him from Webby’s hold. Ignoring Huey’s protests, Dewey and Louie each took one of his wings and used all their strength to send Huey hurtling downwards, where the others were scattered at various altitudes in their own free falls.

The sky flipped in all directions, just like Huey’s stomach, as he spun out of control through the air. Huey screamed with panic as he flailed, trying to put his body back into a stable position and failing.

“I haaaaaate you guuuuuuuuuys!” he wailed, even though he was sure his brothers couldn’t hear him any longer.

Alerted by the screams, B.O.Y.D. looked up to see Huey twisting towards him. He reached out and tried to grab his best friend, but missed the fabric of his red shirt by inches. Huey pitched below them and B.O.Y.D. cried out, “Huey!”

Gyro activated the communication function of Lil Bulb, connecting him to Gizmoduck’s helmet. “You’ve got Hat Nephew incoming,” he said.

Fenton snapped his gaze up. He could hear Huey’s screams but couldn’t see the boy. He was about to ask Gyro if Huey was still in his sight when the red-clad duckling plummeted through a cloud just above their heads.

Fenton jerked backwards, tilting his head as far back as possible so that Huey wouldn’t get hurt on his propeller. Gandra extended her wings and there was an _oof_ from both her and Huey as she caught him.

“We’ve got him,” Fenton reported to Gyro.

Huey clung to Gandra, his stomach still twisting and turning despite the fact was he no longer moving. His heart raced in his chest and his breaths shuddered out of him. Gandra tightened her grip and said soothingly, “You’re okay, Huey. We’ve got you.”

“What happened?” asked Fenton in concern.

“My…brothers…are…jerks,” he wheezed.

“Siblings can be like that,” said Gandra in amusement.

Huey caught his breath and the roaring in his ears died down. He properly processed his surroundings, finding himself pressed against Gandra’s chest with his head tucked against her chin. She was in Fenton’s arms, cradled securely against the chest piece of the Gizmoduck armour.

Huey’s cheeks burned red. “I ruined a sweet moment, didn’t I? I am _so_ sorry.”

“You did,” said Gandra with a teasing lilt.

“But now we’re having a new moment,” said Fenton cheerfully, briefly raising one armour-covered wing to stroke Huey’s feathers.

“Ugh, gross,” said Gandra, pulling a face, but a smile broke through when Huey wound his wings around her neck.

Up above, the cackling of Louie and Dewey was promptly cut off by a firm grip falling on their ears. “Ow,” whined Dewey. “Uncle Scrooge!”

“Ye know your brother does nae like tae be surprised like that,” he said sharply.

“That was mean,” chided Webby, crossing her wings over her chest.

Louie’s phone trilled in his pocket and, bewildered, he pulled it out. “Uncle Donald?” he said in confusion.

Scrooge let go of their ears and said knowingly, “Answer it.”

Louie tapped the screen and brought his phone to his newly-freed ear. “Uh…hello?”

“Where’s Huey?” barked Donald. “What happened?”

Eyes wide, Louie darted his gaze left, right and center. But Donald was nowhere in sight and he said in disbelief, “Wait, where are you? Did Huey fly by you?”

_“He’s not with you?!”_

“How did you even know?” cried Louie.

“It’s that sixth sense he’s got,” grumbled Dewey. “He always knows when we’re up to something.”

Scrooge nicked the phone and said smoothly, “The boys thought it would be funny tae throw Huey through the air. He’s fine, Ah saw Fenton catch him. Hmm? Yes, one moment.”

Scrooge returned the phone to Louie and, knowing what was coming next, he muttered, “Thanks a lot, Uncle Scrooge.”

“Yeah, thanks,” said Dewey with a pout.

“Ah trust ye two will be able tae find your way tae the others,” said Scrooge pointedly. “Come along, Webby Darlin’.”

Webby happily linked up with Scrooge and together they soared downwards. Louie winced and put his phone on speaker. Donald’s voice, already in mid-rant, erupted through the air.

“—and this is not the time to be goofing around or flinging your brother through the sky! When we get down to the ground you are going to apologize! Do you hear me?”

“Yes, Uncle Donald,” Louie and Dewey mumbled.

“And we want some sincerity when you apologize,” chimed in Della sternly. “You know your brother has anxiety. There’s a line, boys, and chucking your brother through the open sky by himself while we’re in free fall definitely crosses it.”

“Yes, Mom.”

“Do we need to come and get you?” asked Donald warningly.

“No!” said Dewey quickly. “No, we’re on our way down.”

“Don’t dawdle!”

The line went silent as Donald hung up. Louie sighed and stuck his phone back in his pocket. “You know the thing about having a big family? A lot of parental figures.”

“Isn’t it great?” said Dewey happily.

Louie snorted. “Yeah, when I’m _not_ in trouble.”

He performed a spin before angling his body directly downwards. He went gliding away and Dewey stayed in place, the wind whipping past him. He spread his wings and fell backwards, his gaze trained on the bright blue expanse above him.

A few years ago, Donald freaked if they went onto their docked houseboat without their life vests. Now here they were, free-falling thousands of feet through the sky, and his uncle wasn’t tearing his feathers out trying to get to them. He trusted them to make their way to safety without his help.

But the protectiveness had been in Donald’s voice, just as strong as ever. Dewey knew, even if his uncle had learned to let go, he would always be there.

The thought of Donald and his near-death experience caused tears to spring to Dewey’s eyes. He swiped them away and refused to dwell on the memory that had nearly broken his heart. His uncle was safe. His family was safe.

The family that risked life and limb to save each other. A family that was much bigger than Dewey ever imagined it would be. A family he loved with his whole being.

Dewey flipped over and soared downwards. He spotted B.O.Y.D. holding Gyro by the back of his vest, his rocket feet propelling them through the sky and keeping them out of gravity’s mercy. In Gyro’s arms were Lil Bulb and Louie.

“The extra load isn’t too much for you, is it?” Dewey asked when he came within earshot.

“Not at all!” said B.O.Y.D. brightly. “Dr. Gearloose is quite light.”

“I wasn’t talking about Gyro,” said Dewey with a snicker.

Louie glared up at him. “Shut up.”

“I’m sorry, the Gyro Express is closed,” said Gyro flatly.

“Don’t listen to him,” dismissed Louie. “He told me the same thing.”

Gyro narrowed his eyes. “I can still drop you, Green Nephew.”

Louie groaned. “Come on, man. How long are you going to pretend you don’t know our names?”

“I don’t,” said Gyro with a sniff. “I haven’t gotten around to it. I’m a busy scientist. I don’t have time to learn the names of snot-nosed brats.”

“You can ride with me if you want,” offered B.O.Y.D.

“Nah, I’m good. I’m gonna go find Launchpad.” He extended a fist and said warmly, “Thank you, B.O.Y.D. You put yourself in a lot of danger to save my brother. That means a lot to me.”

“To us,” corrected Louie seriously.

“I’d do anything for Huey,” said B.O.Y.D. passionately. “I’d do anything for any of you.”

They exchanged a fist-bump and Dewey grabbed hold of Louie’s cheeks, squishing them together. “I love you, little bro.”

“Ugh, you’re so annoying,” whined Louie. He reached up and wrapped his wing around Dewey’s neck, pulling him as close as he could for a hug. “But despite that, I love you too.”

Gyro gave a yelp of surprise when Dewey hugged him next. Squeezing tight, Dewey whispered, “You saved Uncle Donald’s life. I can’t repay you for that, because it means absolutely everything to me, but I’ll try.”

“Yeah,” said Louie softly, resting his head against Gyro’s chest. “We owe you.”

“Don’t be stupid,” said Gyro gruffly, lightly setting his wing against the top of Dewey’s head. “You don’t owe me anything. It’s, uh, what family does. The whole saving each other thing.”

“He said it!” crowed Louie, gripping the front of Gyro’s shirt and shaking him. “He said we’re family!”

Gyro’s teeth rattled from the rough motion. “Knock it off! I mean it, I _will_ drop you. Louie!”

“Ha! You _do_ know our names!”

Dewey laughed as Gyro spluttered angrily. He continued his descent and it was barely a few minutes of falling later when he came upon Fenton, Gandra and Huey. “Eyyyy! How was your trip, Huey?”

“Terrifying!” snapped Huey, straining to smack at his brother.

“Listen, Uncle Donald told us to apologize, but he said to do it when we’re on the ground and we’re not on the ground yet, soooooo…”

“You are the _worst_.”

“You’re confusing me with Louie,” said Dewey jokingly.

“This isn’t the time to play around,” scolded Fenton lightly. “Hop on.”

“Thanks, but I’m on my way to Launchpad. Just wanted to stop by and give my big bro some love.” He rested his forehead against Huey’s and said affectionately, “I love you.”

His ire melting, Huey wrapped his wings around his brother. “I love you too. Even when you tap dance at three in the morning.”

“Aw, that’s sweet,” said Fenton warmly.

Gandra furrowed her brow. “You tap dance at three in the morning?”

“Sometimes I get restless,” said Dewey simply. “I like to dance it off.”

“But why tap dancing specifically?”

“It calms me down.”

“Er…okay.”

Dewey regarded her, the way her arms were wrapped securely around Huey and how his brother was nestled comfortably against her. “Thank you,” he said sincerely. “For helping out my family today. This is, like, a weird way to officially meet, but I can’t wait to get to know you better. From everything Huey’s said about you, you’re awesome.”

“He talks about me?” said Gandra, touched.

“All the time.”

“Not all the time,” said Huey quickly. “A reasonable amount of time.”

“I’m flattered, Red.” Gandra playfully pinched his cheek. She smiled at the boy in blue and said, “Thanks, Dewey. I’m looking forward to getting to know you, too. I’ve never really found a place where I fit in before. I think your family might be what I’ve always been looking for.”

“It is,” said Dewey confidently. “Right, Fenton?”

“Absolutely,” said Fenton with a nod. “I…I didn’t think I had what it took to be a hero. But Launchpad, Mr. McDuck, you guys and everyone else showed me I was wrong. You are the reasons I fight.”

“So much mush,” said Gandra with a shudder.

“Get used to it,” teased Fenton. “You sure you don’t want to ride with us, Dewey?”

“Huey’s with his best friend and I ought to go to mine. See you in a few!”

It took a bit longer before he encountered the next group. The girls were all surrounded with Lena’s blue magic, keeping them anchored in the sky and letting them move as they pleased. Dewey cupped his wings around his beak and he shouted, _“Webby!”_

“Dewey!” she shrieked back gleefully.

She opened her wings and Dewey performed a spin before landing in her embrace. He gripped her tightly and whispered, “Thank you, Webby. For believing in me even when I didn’t. For not giving up even when I wanted to. I couldn’t have found out what happened to Mom without you.”

“I’ll always believe in you, Dewey,” said Webby fiercely, clinging to his shoulders. “Thanks for trusting me with your secrets.”

“Awwwwwwww.”

The coos came from the gathered girls, though Lena’s was a touch more sarcastic than sincere. Dewey stuck his tongue out at her and she made a face at him in return. He spun around so he could fully face May and June and took hold of their wings.

“Webby is like, the best sister you could ask for. I know everything is going to be crazy different for you now, but it’s going to be way better. I promise.”

“We’ve never been part of a family before,” said June hesitantly.

“I didn’t have a family at first, either,” said Lena softly. She pulled Violet against her side and said warmly, “But Violet and Webby changed that for me, and we’re going to change it for you.”

“We’ll show you the ropes,” said Violet confidently. “Don’t worry. You will be well-loved.”

May peeked at Dewey and said hopefully, “We always wondered what it would be like to have a brother.”

“Now you’ve got three,” said Dewey with a grin. “I’m the best triplet, though, but I’m sure you’ll soon figure that out.”

“Okay, one of the rules of this family, Huey is the most trustworthy triplet,” said Lena with a roll of her eyes. “So, like, don’t take anything this dork says seriously.”

“Noted,” chirped May and June.

Dewey clutched at his heart. “I am _wounded_.”

“Whatever,” said Lena with a snort. “You wanna fly with us?”

“I’m actually on my way to Launchpad. I thought I’d see you before I passed by.”

“Group hug before you go!” whooped Webby.

Dewey found himself smushed between the group of girls. “Cooties! I’m infected!”

May blinked. “Cooties?”

“Get outta here!” said Lena with a laugh.

Dewey found himself encased with blue magic. He yipped as Lena flung him down and as he twisted and spun through the air, he found the inspiration for his apology to Huey.

Thanks to the burst of power from Lena’s magic, Dewey came upon Manny, Mrs. Beakley, Scrooge, Della and Donald much quicker. “Heeeeeey!” he said dizzily as he finally straightened himself out.

“What are you doing?” demanded Donald. “I told you not to dawdle!”

“I’m not! I’m on my way to Launchpad!”

“Where are your brothers?” asked Della with a frown.

“Louie’s with Gyro and B.O.Y.D. and Huey’s with Fenton and Gandra.”

“Is Webby still with the girls?” asked Mrs. Beakley.

“Yup! Just passed them.”

“Launchpad is too far down,” insisted Donald. “Get over here.”

“I’m going to be fine! I can literally see Launchpad from here, it won’t take long.” Dewey grinned at Manny and said, “Love the makeover, by the way. Beyond epic.”

“I must say, it’s nice to have my own head once again,” Manny replied.

“Don’t see what was wrong with the other one,” said Scrooge under his breath.

“All right, before I go, I have some very important things to say,” declared Dewey. He drifted over to Mrs. Beakley and folded his wings around her neck. “Thanks for being our protector,” he said softly. “I love you.”

Mrs. Beakley set a wing against his back. “I love you too, Dewey. I will always fight the battles you cannot,” she said strongly. “And thank you, for all you’ve done for my—for Web—”

“For your granddaughter,” interrupted Dewey firmly. “She’s _your_ granddaughter.”

It took Mrs. Beakley a minute before she could speak past the lump that formed in her throat. “Yes. She is.”

Dewey latched onto his great-uncle next and Scrooge wasted no time into pulling his nephew against his chest. “Ah’ve hunted years for the most sought-after treasures,” he whispered. “But ye kids and your uncle reminded me that there will never be a greater treasure than my family. Ah love ye, Dewey.”

“I love you too,” said Dewey, nuzzling into the front of Scrooge’s coat. “You taught me so much. You showed me the world. You helped me realize that I’m special as I am, and that the only one who thought I wasn’t good enough was me.”

“Ye are perfect joost the way ye are,” murmured Scrooge. “Do nae ever change.”

“Thanks, Uncle Scrooge.”

Scrooge gently let him go and Dewey floated back into the air. He angled himself in front of his mother and uncle and, at the sight of the tears already building in their eyes, his own started to spill over.

“You know, I’m the luckiest kid in the world. When I set out to solve the mystery of my mom, I only wanted to know what happened to her. I thought she was lost, but then I found her. She wasn’t who I thought she was—she was even better than that. She’s been trying to be the best mother she can be ever since she came back and though she makes mistakes sometimes, I know she loves us, and she’s already taught each of us so much. She’s amazing.

“Even if I didn’t understand it or always appreciate it, I was protected for the first decade of my life by someone who loved me and my brothers more than anything else in the world. He loved us enough to bring us to meet our great-uncle, and we’ve grown together ever since. I know that even if he learned to let go, he’ll always be close enough for me to reach out and grab hold of. I never had to go searching for my dad because he’s been with me since the day I was hatched.”

Donald seized Dewey by a wing and pulled the boy into his embrace. Della twisted around and placed one wing on the back of Donald’s neck while the other curled around Dewey’s waist. Donald nuzzled his beak against the top of Dewey’s head and the duckling clung to them, tears splashing down his cheeks.

“I love you,” he said tearfully. “I love you both so much. I’m who I am because of you.”

“No, you’re who you are because of your uncle,” said Della with gratitude. “The best brother a girl could ask for, and the best dad. I see so much of Donald in you and your brothers.”

“When I look at them, I see you,” countered Donald, lightly running his wing through Dewey’s feathers. “Their spirit, their love of adventure and their strength is all you.”

“No,” said Scrooge, his voice thick with emotion. “The boys are _both_ of ye. Ah know because the traits that drove me crazy when ye were kids are the same traits that these kids have.”

Donald and Della looked at each other and laughed. Della wiped the tears from Dewey’s face and kissed his forehead. “I love you, baby. I am so, so proud of you.”

“You boys are my world,” said Donald tenderly. “That’ll never change.”

Dewey beamed. “You guys are my world, too.”

“Now go to Launchpad before I strap you to Manny,” said Donald.

“I would prefer if you didn’t,” the horse said.

Donald and Della raised their wings with Dewey holding on. For a moment he floated in the grasp of his guardians, and Dewey’s heart felt like it would burst from the amount of love he felt.

The twins let go and Dewey tuck and rolled, sailing further down. He spun onto his back to blow Scrooge, Della and Donald a kiss, which they mimed catching in unison with adoring, loving smiles on their beaks.

Dewey fell into a dive and he hollered, _“Launchpad!”_

“Little buddy!” cried Launchpad.

“Can I ride with you?”

“You sure can! Get over here!”

Dewey fell level beside Gosalyn and she grinned at him. “All right! Now we balance out the nerdiness with our coolness!”

“You know it!” he cheered, high-fiving her.

Darkwing ruffled his feathers. “Better get secure, kiddo. I think the ground’s fast approaching.”

Launchpad grabbed hold of Dewey and the boy let out a small squeak as he was sandwiched against the pilot’s broad chest. “Don’t worry, Dewey. I’ll keep you safe.”

“I know you will,” said Dewey with a smile. “Thanks for being my best friend, Launchpad. You inspire me every day. I love you.”

“Aw, buddy, I love you too,” said Launchpad with a sniffle, squeezing Dewey even tighter. “But you inspire me way more.”

“You’ll never guess what happened in the evil guy’s lair,” said Gosalyn eagerly.

“What happened?”

“Launchpad became Gizmoduck! He kicked butt and it was awesome!”

Dewey craned his neck and said excitedly, “You got to borrow Gizmoduck’s armour?!”

“I sure did!” said Launchpad proudly.

“Tell. Me. Everything.”

As Launchpad started to tell an enthralled Dewey the story, Darkwing turned to Gosalyn and frowned. “Wait. Borrowed? I thought Launchpad _was_ Gizmoduck.”

Gosalyn shook her head fondly and lightly tapped Darkwing’s beak. “Yeah, no, he’s definitely not, Clueless One.”

_“Hey!”_


End file.
